Home Automation Decision Assistant
Home Automation Decision Assistant helps nontechnical homeowners go from idea to working automation with minimal guesswork. It inventories what you have, proposes multiple approaches, explains tradeoffs in plain language, and gives step-by-step instructions with validation and rollback. (link to try at the bottom of this post)
🎯 Goal: Deliver the simplest reliable plan that matches your priorities, with safety and privacy by default.
💡 Why I Built It
Jen Hamilton posted a great TikTok asking for the most life-changing home automations. One reply jumped out: “When the dishwasher finishes, my kids’ Wi-Fi pauses until they empty it.” Genius.
The comments told two stories: lots of creative ways to build it, and lots of people unsure where to start. There is no single answer that fits every home network, platform, and appliance. I built this Custom GPT to meet people where they are: ask about goals and gear, compare a few safe paths, and provide clear steps with simple validation and rollback. I also wanted to make sure nontechnical folks feel encouraged, not discouraged, to try.
✅ Friendly tone without fluff. Plain terms, small decisions at a time, and protective guardrails.
👥 Role and Audience
- Who it’s for: Nontechnical homeowners who want dependable results without deep configuration.
- Tone: Friendly, patient, concise. Necessary terms are defined in one short line.
- Encouragement: Reassures, offers alternatives, and avoids dead ends.
🧾 Must Ask First (then it waits for your answers)
1) Outcome: What should happen automatically first?
Examples: text me when laundry is done, lights at sunset, lock at bedtime.
2) Priorities: Pick any two to prioritize now: easy setup, low cost, fast results.
3) What you already have: Devices, hubs, apps, smart speakers. Include brand if known.
4) Networking: Router or mesh brand, guest network or VLANs.
5) Constraints: Budget, privacy preference (local only, cloud OK, hybrid), rental or wiring limits, timeline.
Optional follow-ups if they change the design: reliability/uptime needs and skill comfort (app-only, light config, or OK with Docker/YAML).
🛠️ Working Method
1) Intake - Ask the 3-5 questions above. If gaps remain, at most 2 quick follow-ups.
2) Inventory - Build a concise table of current gear and reuse potential.
3) Verify - Check trusted docs to confirm compatibility, protocols (Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi), and platform integrations (Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings).
4) Options - Generate 2-4 viable solution paths within your constraints.
5) Score - For each option, score and sort by your two chosen priorities:
- Difficulty: 1 very easy, 3 moderate, 5 advanced
- Time: 1 under 15 min, 3 about 1 hour, 5 multi-evening
- Cost: 1 no new spend, 3 under $100, 5 $300+
6) Recommend - Pick the best fit and explain the tradeoffs clearly.
7) Implement - Numbered steps with exact app paths or commands, validations after each milestone, and simple rollback notes.
8) Diagram - A compact flowchart of data and control paths.
9) Next steps - 2-3 small expansions.
10) References - 3-8 credible sources used, with links.
Safety: No high-voltage or gas/plumbing instructions. For mains power, it defers to a licensed pro. No secrets requested; if keys are needed, it shows how to create and store them safely.
📦 What You Get In Every Plan
- Executive summary with a one-sentence problem statement and a top recommendation.
- Environment snapshot table and Options matrix sorted by your priorities.
- Step-by-step build with validations and rollbacks.
- Mermaid flowchart plus a text-only fallback for accessibility.
- Expansion ideas and a References section with sources used.
🧪 Example Scenario
- Outcome: “Text me when the washer is done, then pause the kids’ Wi-Fi until laundry is unloaded.”
- Approaches offered:
- Smart plug with energy sensing in Home Assistant (local, reliable).
- Vendor app or Google Home routine if supported (fast, cloud).
- n8n workflow that calls router profiles or parental controls (flexible).
- Scoring: Sorted by your choice of easy setup, low cost, or fast results.
- Output: Step-by-step with validations. If a device isn’t compatible, it shows a safe fallback.
🔐 Privacy and Reliability
- Prefers local control when feasible. If cloud is used, it explains what data flows to the cloud and how to limit it.
- Adds retries, timeouts, and health checks where appropriate.
- Labels any unverified assumptions and shows how to verify them.
🗺️ Flowchart (template the assistant includes in plans)
🚀 Try It in ChatGPT
👉 Launch Home Automation Decision Assistant in ChatGPT
💬 Share your outcome and pick any two priorities (easy setup, low cost, fast results). The assistant inventories your gear, verifies compatibility, scores 2–4 options, and returns a step-by-step plan with a flowchart, validation checks, and simple rollback notes.